Coatings improve the performance of cutting tools, especially ceramic or oxide coatings on carbide or hard metal cutting tools. Ever since carbide cutting tool inserts have been ceramic coated with, for example, aluminum oxide (Al2O3), there has been a continuing effort to improve the adherence of the coating to the substrate. When the first aluminum oxide coating was applied directly to a substrate of the carbide or hard metal type, the oxygen in the aluminum oxide reacted with the substrate which reduced the adherence.
It has been known to improve the properties of tool inserts made from a sintered hard metal substrate (metallic carbide bonded with a binder metal) by applying a wear-resistant carbide layer. See UK Patents Nos. 1,291,387 and 1,291,388 which disclose methods of applying a carbide coating with improved adherence; specifically, controlling the composition of the gas used for deposition of the carbide so that a decarburized zone was formed in the sintered hard metal at the interface with the wear-resistant carbide. The decarburized zone known as an eta layer, however, tends to be hard and brittle resulting in breakage. It has also been known to apply a ceramic or oxide wear-resistant coating (usually aluminum oxide) upon the sintered metal substrate. However, as already explained, the oxide layer directly upon the sintered metal body may disrupt the sintered metal morphology and binding ability. A number of patents have disclosed the use of an intermediate layer of carbides, carbonitrides and/or nitrides. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,399,168 and 4,619,866. An intermediate titanium carbide (TiC) layer improved toughness but still an eta layer existed limiting the application of the coated tool inserts to finishing cuts. A layer of titanium nitride (TiN) applied before the TiC layer eliminated the eta layer but toughness was still less than required. See U.S. Patent No. 4,497,874. Intermediate layers of titanium carbonitride (TiCN) in place of the TiC intermediate layer have been proposed. See U.S. Patents Nos. 4,619,866 and 4,399,168. A thin surface oxidized bonding layer comprising a carbide or oxycarbide of at least one of tantalum, niobium and vanadium between the hard metal substrate and the outer oxide wear layer has been proposed. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,191.
The ceramic coating (Al2O3) does not adhere well enough to the TiC and many TiCN intermediate coatings when used to enhance the adhesion of the coating to the cemented carbide substrate. Due to thermal expansion differences, there is a tendency to delaminate. With the stress caused by the thermal expansion difference, coatings tend to perform inconsistently. These intermediate coatings are mostly characterized by a straight line interface between the intermediate coating and the oxide coating as shown in FIG. 1. This results in a weak bond. Adhesion may be increased some by making the substrate rough but the projections provided by the roughening are spaced too far apart to perform consistently.
With the coatings, according to the present invention, increased wear resistance as well as adhesion strength are provided in ceramic coatings on hard metal cutting tools.